Hardships and Tribulations
by Aiden Ravelle
Summary: Ken and Kari go through different types of abuse and they help each other through it. Kekari


I started this fic at least 3 years ago and I am just getting to finishing and rewriting it. Hopefully someone out there enjoys it..

Warning: This fic involves abuse, alcohol use, slight incesty rape, self harm and a lot of angst! But, its a love story all the same, so hope you enjoy!

Ken 1:

'I did this to myself. It's not his fault. It's really not. I deserve this,' Ken thought to himself as he was cleaning up his wounds.

"Ken, you need to get away from him. He's crazy and you should not be going through this," Wormmon said.

"I'm all he's got. My mother died because of worrying about me, because I ran away to live in and try to take over the Digital World. It's my fault she's gone, it's my fault Sam is gone, so it's my fault he's like this," Ken said quietly.

"It wasn't your fault, plus you just don't need to be going through such physical abuse," Wormmon worried.

"It's alright. Plus, he's gone for right now, so you don't need to worry,"

Ken got in the shower to wash some blood off and relax, however, his guilt for everything started to get to him.

'I know he's fine now, but I can't let go of what I did to wormmon.. What I did to all of the Digimon.. And what I did to my friends. How did I not see that they were real and not just a game? And because of all that, my mother is dead, my father hates me for "killing" my mother, and he still never fully got over Sam either, and I remind him too much of him. Maybe the world would be better off without me. No reminders of the Emperor. No reminders of Sam or Mom. And Wormmon can find a better partner. Plus, I won't need to go through this guilt or this pain or any of it.' Ken grabbed a razor, and sliced into his arm. Blood started to flood. he soon started blacking out.

After a little while, Wormmon wondered why Ken was taking so long. He went in and saw Ken passed out, with blood in the tub.

"Oh no, Ken. Ken? Wake up," Wormmon was worried, 'Oh what should I do?'

Wormmon ran to the phone, "Who should I call? Ken talks about Kari a lot. Maybe she can help."

Kari 1-

"Tai, stop," Kari said, 'He's so different when he drinks.'

Tai and Kari were home alone and Tai was pulling at Kari's skirt, trying to slide his hands up it. She stood up but he latched onto her arm and tried to pull her down. She moved away and tried to get into their bedroom. He got up and pushed her against a wall.

The phone started ringing though and he pulled away from her to answer the phone. She took the chance and locked herself in her room.

After a moment she heard, "That was wormmon calling for you, but I told him you were busy," and then Tai was trying to get in the room.

"Let me in Kari, it's my bedroom too." He hit the door repeatedly.

After a few minutes of silence Gatomon crawled out from under the bed, "I wish you'd let me at him."

Kari whispered, "He's not bad and I could never let you hurt him. It's just the alcohol."

She analyzed the bruise that formed on her wrist from Tai pulling and holding it.

This was nothing compared to some times. Kari wondered why Wormmon called. Generally if they call, it's Ken but he hardly ever calls, they just see each other as a group. 'I wonder if he's ok'

"Gatomon, I have to go check on Ken and Wormmon. I have a bad feeling," she said filling her bag with make up to cover the bruise. She was good at covering bruises and keeping secrets, she'd had to a lot in the past few months. She also grabbed the key to the house and the key to the bedroom door. Her plan was to sneak out the window now, but when she comes home she hoped things would be better and she could come in the front door.

Kari crawled out the window and tried sliding down the wall carefully, as she was on the second floor. Unfortunately for her though, she slipped and her ankle went at a funny angle.

"Ouch," she muttered as Gatomon crawled out behind her.

"Are you okay Kari?" She asked.

"I'm fine, probably just a small sprain. We'll see. We have to get to Ken now."

After a few minutes of walking they made it to the train station. Having to wait a few minutes, she finds a payphone and calls Ken's house.

After a few rings she almost hangs up, but the phone finally picks up, "Hello?" she hears from the other end. It's Wormmon.

"Wormmon, what's going on? Tai said you called but did not say why. I'm on my way over, I hope that's ok."

"Kari? Good thing you are coming over. Ken's in trouble."

"What's wrong? Can I talk to him?"

Wormmon seemed panicked, "He's passed out. He needs help. Please hurry, I'm doing my best here for a worm, but it's not enough. He won't wake up."

"I'll be there as soon as I can. I'm waiting on the train. Don't worry Wormmon, Ken will be okay," she hung up to let him get back to caring for Ken and filled Gatomon in.

The train pulled up not soon after and she climbed on. She found a seat in an empty car and sat down. Her ankle was getting really swollen and painful but she knew she had to get to Ken. She worried about all of her friends, she was kind of the caretaker, but she had started liking Ken more the more they hung out.

Right as the train doors were about to close someone else stepped into the train car. It was one of the original digidestined, Matt.

Matt looked around and noticed Kari.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath. She wasn't one for cussing, but she did when she was really upset. She knew she could not hide the bruise and the swollen ankle from Matt and she knew she couldn't lie to a friend.

"Hey Kari. Hey Gatomon," Matt said as he sat across from them, "How are you guys?"  
"Ok, we are going to visit Ken. He's sick right now," she wasn't exactly sure what was wrong with Ken, but if he's passed out she knew he was sick or injured.

"Oh that sucks. I'm on my way to work," he said, pointing to the uniform shirt he was wearing.

After a minute Matt noticed the bruise and the ankle, "You get in a fight?" He half joked.

Kari went to talk but the words would not come out. She just started crying.

"Hey, hey, it's ok, what's going on Kari?" Matt said as he moved next to Kari to comfort her.

"Should I tell him Kari?" Gatomon asked.

Kari couldn't talk so she just nodded her head and cried into Matt's shoulder. Gatomon told Matt about how Tai had been drinking and how he get violent and sexual when he's drunk and then told him how Kari escaped today out the window and that is why her ankle was swollen.

After a moment of taking that information in Matt decided, "I'm going to kick his ass. How dare he hurt his little sister? MY little sister?"

"Matt don't!" Kari exclaimed, "He doesn't even know. When he's sober, he is fine and normal Tai. It's just when he's drunk, he blacks out and doesn't remember his actions. He thinks he just comes home and sleeps. Please don't hurt him," she begged.

"Kari, he hurt you. He raped you. He is supposed to protect you at all times, there are no excuses. I am going to talk to him, and I will try not to beat him to a pulp, but I can't promise you anything except that this will stop."

Kari nodded and wiped her tears away.

"We are getting close to the stop," Gatomon mentioned breaking the silence.

"I'm going to talk to him after work, if he's sober by then. I knew he went out for drinks occasionally but I didn't know it was like this. It will end," he assured her.

"Thanks Matt. Please don't hurt him," she asked one more time as she got out of the train.

"Bye Matt," Gatomon jumped out behind Kari.

Kari was really feeling her ankle now and he had to hobble the few blocks to Kens. After they arrived, she knocked on the door, "It's Kari. Open up."

Wormmon opened the door, "I'm glad you are here."

He led Kari to the bathroom where Ken was.

"Ken?!" She exclaimed kneeling down next to him.

"He was bleeding heavily. I tried to stop it by creating webbing. I also tried to wash the blood off. Sorry I don't have enough arms to get him dressed," Wormmon explained.

Kari looked down and finally noticed that Ken was naked, "I'll get him dressed. We need to get him to a hospital. Gatomon, can you call the hospital and get an ambulance?"

Gatomon nodded and went to the phone.

"Wormmon, why is he bleeding and bruised?"

Wormmon then explained how he found Ken as well as Ken's secret of having an abusive father.

After taking in that information, she felt so bad for Ken. She knew what it was like to hide a secret, hide bruises, depression and more. She went into Ken's bedroom and found some loose clothes. She came back and with the help of Gatomon, they pulled him up out of the bathtub, finished washing the blood away and got him dried and dressed. The ambulance came and got Ken, and Kari got to ride as well, with Gatomon and Wormmon hidden in a dufflebag.

At the hospital Kari stayed in Ken's room and watched as the nurses took care of him. He ended up needing a blood transfusion and stitches in his arm, but they said he would be okay once he woke up. One of the nurses saw Kari's ankle and was nice enough to confirm it was a sprain and wrapped it for her. The nurses finally left and Kari pulled her chair up to Ken's bed. She stared at him for a while and rubbed his hair. She knew her crush was more than a crush, she loved him, but with all of the stuff going on in both of their lives, she knew now was probably not the time to tell him.

She ended up falling asleep half laying on Ken's bed, half sitting in her chair. After a while she woke up to a hand on her head, and hearing Ken ask, "Kari?"

She sat up and looked around, a little confused from just being woken. After a moment she remembered what happened and exclaimed, "Ken! You are awake!" She smiled.

"What is going on?" Ken asked.

Wormmon and Gatomon heard Kari and Ken and came over to where they were.

"Ken!" Wormmon exclaimed.

"Wormmon? Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital Ken," Gatomon answered.

"Kari knows about your father, I had to call someone for help," Wormmon admitted.

Ken blushed a bit and then looked at his arm, "I'm alive." He stated.

After a moment of silence Ken admitted, "I tried to end it. I was sick of dealing with everything, and I tried to end it."

After Kari took that in, she put her hand on his, "It's okay Ken. I understand, more than you know." She looked down at her wrist, the bruise had gotten a bit bigger while she slept.

Ken looked at her wrist as well and noticed the bruise. Taking in the 'more than you know,' comment, he asked, "You hide bruises too?"

She nodded and told him her story, "Please, don't mention it to him, and don't think any less of him. He is a good person," she said of Tai.

They talked for hours and finally Gatomon said, "Maybe you should call home and tell them you won't be home." It was getting dark out and Kari's parents would worry.

Kari called her house and her mother answered, "Hello?"  
"Hi mom, I won't be home tonight. I'm staying with a friend who is sick in the hospital."

"I hope they feel better. Tai isn't coming home either. He's staying at Matt's tonight. Have a good night honey."

After their phone call, Kari remembered, "Tomorrow we have a picnic in the digital world. Are you up for going or should I make an excuse for you?"

Ken was feeling somewhat better both emotionally and physically, "I can probably go if I can get some makeup to cover the bruises and get some clothes."

"You can probably start staying at my house, or even Davis's. You shouldn't go back there." Kari mentioned.

"Thanks Kari. For everything. I'm sorry to have put you through this."

"Ken, I love helping my friends, and I'll always be here for you." She blushed.

After a little while longer, Kari decided to call Matt.

"Hello?" Matt answered.

"Hey Matt, I heard Tai is at your house tonight. Is he ok?"

"He's decent. He knows everything. He hates himself. But I'm trying to keep his spirits up. How's Ken?"

"It's a long story. I'm staying with him tonight, but he's doing a lot better. We both still plan to go to the picnic tomorrow. You guys are still going right?"

Kari heard a door open through the phone and Tai in the background, "Who is calling this late?"

"It's just TK," Matt replied to Tai. Turning his attention back to the phone, "Anyway TK, I have to go, Tai is over. Oh and yes we will make it to the picnic tomorrow."

"I get it Matt, keep him safe. Night."

"Night." The phone hangs up.

"Tai isn't doing too well. Matt told him everything. I don't know what to expect tomorrow at the picnic," She told the small group in the room.

"I'm sure things will work out Kari," Gatomon assured her.

"Maybe I should come clean about things to everyone," Ken said, "except maybe the suicide attempt."

"They will question why you are staying with someone else. At least until we can find you a place of your own." Kari replied. After a minute she said, "I think I just want to claim I fell. Which I did, but that could explain the wrist and the ankle. I fell, twisted my ankle, and caught myself with this hand."

"I do have some money saved up, I can probably get an apartment. I'd just need a place for a few weeks to search for one."

"We'll figure it out."

Wormmon yawned.

"I guess it has been a long day, we need to rest," Kari said as she tried to make herself a bed on the couch.

She laid down and tried to go to sleep. After about half an hour of tossing and turning because she couldn't get comfortable, Ken, who hadn't fallen asleep either, offered, "Do you want to sleep on this bed with me? I mean, it is big enough," and then he blushed and said, "I do understand if you don't, you've just helped me all day, so I'm trying to return the favor."

"Alright," Kari said getting up. By the time they got settled in bed, Kari and Ken were next to each other with Wormmon and Gatomon at their feet.

"Goodnight Ken."  
"Goodnight Kari."

In the morning Ken woke to find Kari cuddled up next to him. Gatomon and Wormmon were still asleep as well.

He had liked Kari for a while, but was always so busy trying to hide his home life, he never really focused on her. On top of that, his depression didn't help things either.

With the day they had yesterday and the secrets they had shared together, he thought he might be falling in love.

Kari started muttering in her sleep and the only word Ken could catch was his own name. He stared at her a bit longer before a nurse came in the room. She whispered that she wanted to do a few tests before they let him out, but they needed to get to both sides of him, so Kari had to move.

"Kari?" Ken whispered, gently shaking her awake.

She sleepily looked up at him, smiled, and said, "You woke up my dream."

"I'm sorry Kari, but they need to do tests. I am a patient in a hospital afterall."

Kari sat up and looked around her, slightly in shock, "Oh, I'm sorry," she said as she got up. She went into the bathroom to wash her hair and change her shirt. Good thing she always kept an extra in her bag, by the time she was done, the nurses were done with their tests and approved Ken to leave. After Ken got ready, the little group left the hospital to head for the picnic.

They were the first to get to the digital world, being an hour early.

"Hey Kari, you said I woke you from a dream this morning. What was it about?" Ken asked her.

She immediately blushed, "You remember that?" She asked.

He nodded in response.

"I'm embarrassed and you will laugh at me," Kari stated.

"No I won't, I promise."

"Well I had a dream that you were an angel, wings and all, and you had come to save me."

"Anything else?"

"Well…"

"Come on, you can tell me anything."

"You, might have, told me you loved me. Then you picked me up and I got to fly with you," she blushed and looked away. She noticed Gatomon and Wormmon were off playing with some digimon from the area.

"Kari?" Ken asked. Once she looked back at him, he whispered, "I do love you."

"Really?" She asked him.

He nodded, "I love you too Ken." She reached her hand out and grabbed his. They laid back in the grass until some of the others showed up. Finally, most of the group had shown up. As each new person came, Ken told them briefly why he was covered in bruises, while Kari claimed she fell.

"Where are Matt and Tai?" Sora asked, referring to her two best friends.

"I'm sure they will be here soon," Izzy mentioned.

A few minutes later Matt and Tai showed up.

"Tai, are you okay?" Agumon asked noticing Tai's appearance.

Matt answered for Tai and said, "He just doesn't feel well today and he didn't get much sleep. He'll be ok." Matt glanced at Kari. Tai had been looking down the whole time, but weakly smiled at Agumon.

Matt made his way over to Kari and whispered, "I had to almost literally drag him. He didn't sleep, but he will be ok. Things will get better."

She nodded. Davis came up and said to Matt, "Did you see Kari's ankle and wrist? Who knew she was that clumsy!"

"And what happened?" Matt asked Kari, knowing he was probably getting a lie.

"I fell," she replied matter-of-factly.

She noticed Tai look up at her, and notice her wrist. He got even more rigid and looked like he was going to be sick.

After they ate, most of the group went and played volleyball. Kari, Ken and Tai were left sitting and watching. Kari moved over to Tai and said, "Hi." She put her hand on his arm, and he pulled away and refused to look at her.

After a minute Kari started talking again, "It's okay Tai. Don't blame yourself. I love you, you're my big brother. It was just the alcohol."

Tai grunted in response. Kari knew he would come around to his old self sooner or later, but for now she changed the subject, "I'm going to ask mom and dad if Ken can stay at our house. He needs to get away from his dad."

Tai finally responded, "He can have my bed. I'm going to stay at Matt's for a while."

After a few more small exchanged words, Kari moved back over to Ken. The group finished their game and everyone headed on their own way.

Ken started staying at Kari's, and Tai at Matt's. Tai didn't come home much, but Kari understood he needed some time.

A few months went by and Ken and Kari got an apartment together.

A few years after that, Ken and Kari were going to get married. They decided to have dinner the night before instead of bachelor and bachelorette parties. It only consisted of the digidestined and Kari was busy thinking back at how much had changed over the past few years.

"I'm glad they found each other," Kari whispered to Ken. Tai and Matt had fallen in love. Kari guessed when someone helps someone out of such a deep spot and seen them at their worst, they couldn't help but fall in love with them. That's what happened with her and Ken as well. Everyone had been betting on who would end up with Sora, Matt or Tai, but they surprised everyone when they cut Sora out of the equation. She didn't mind and she actually ended up with TK. Mimi and Izzy were together as well, having been the first digidestined married. A few others had significant others who weren't digidestined, and of course, a few were still single.

Kari started thinking about how this all started. Little crushes that blossomed into so much more. Beginning with a day, the darkest day for Ken, and the day the light started shining in all their lives, but especially Kari and Ken. Tai was depressed for months, but finally Matt helped bring him out of it. Tai has been sober for four years. Kari was so happy that everyone's lives had gotten so much better.

Kari was pulled out of her memories when Yolei announced, "It's time for a toast. I'll start. To this great couple, who mean the world to me. Cheers!" After everyone clanked glasses, Davis said, "It's my turn. This couple means the world to me as well, and I just wanted to say that I always thought I would end up with Kari, but it's apparent she has made a good decision and I am glad that my best friends are happy."

Matt, who was going to perform and be the DJ at the wedding decided to take control of the dinner and then said, "We've heard from the maid of honor and the best man. Anyone else have words to say to the couple before their marriage tomorrow?"

The group went in a circle and voiced their congratulations.

"Anything the bride and groom would like to say to their followers?" Matt joked "ywhen everyone else was done.

"I'd just like to say thank you for being here for us, whether it was here supporting us getting married, helping us through school, or helping us fight baddies in the digital world. I'd also like to thank Kari for being my light through the darkest of times," he hinted at his suicide attempt.

"I'd like to thank everyone for being here. I'd like to thank my bridesmaids, Sora, Mimi and of course, Yolei. I'd also like to thank the groomsmen, Davis, TK and Tai. We've all come so far since we brought peace to the digital world, having people dating or married, having people becoming doctors and scientists, having some really tough times," she nodded at Matt and Tai, "and having some really fun times as well. I'd like to thank Matt for being our DJ and both Matt and Tai for being the best older brothers who are there for me through anything. Finally, I'd like to thank Ken, the love of my life, for being there for me and understanding me on so many levels." She had tears of happiness streaming down her face.

"The bride isn't supposed to cry of happiness until the wedding," Mimi joked.

The dinner ended and the group went their separate ways. Ken stayed at their apartment while Kari stayed at Matt and Tai's so they wouldn't see each other until the wedding. The next day the wedding went perfectly and the couple stayed happy their whole lives, even having a daughter a few years after their marriage.

As Kari said, everything had changed so much, and all for the better.


End file.
